Note: This was supposed to be for Parallels Fic Exchange, but I didn’t think I could do chime’s prompt justice. I finally think I’ve gotten to a place where I’m happy with it, so I’m posting it instead of it letting it languish. (I also did way too much research on the San Francisco Bay Area for it.)
Willing to Wait
by EstiRose
“Over here, boy!” Professor Hendrickson waved at Gou at the exit to customs. No matter how proficient Gou had become at English, it was comforting to hear his native language. Especially after going through American customs, which were annoying and arduous. At least there had been some signage in Japanese.
He hefted his bag and walked over to the Professor, who had come traveling through Japan not so long before. It was where they’d hatched the plans for him coming to America to root out the Roidmudes. “Thanks for getting me the job, Professor.”
“Harley is fine, Gou.” The man grinned at him. “I can tell you for sure that you’re going to love America!”
Loving America wasn’t what he was there for; fixing his father’s mistakes was. But his cover was that of a photojournalist, there to photograph and write an article on Japanese-Americans and what Japan meant to them, if anything. It would neatly cover his travels in search of the Roidmudes hiding out in this part of the world.
“But if you’re going to do anything cohesive, you’re probably going to want some rest. Flight’s hard on the system, especially with our time difference.” The professor - Gou made a note to call him by the name he preferred - was already turning towards the exit. “Got our bikes parked on one of the off-airport lots, a friend’s watching over them. We’ve got to give him a ride to the CalTrain terminal so he can catch a bus, but that won’t take too long.”
Gou nodded. Maybe he was a little bit tired. California was sixteen time zones away from home, enough to put them eight hours ahead and a day behind. Sixteen hours flying didn’t help. Still, there were Roidmudes that had to be fought, and he was obliged to be the one to fight them. It was his father who had put them on this path, after all.
He was glad all of his paperwork was in order as they picked up the bikes. The Professor’s friend rode behind the Professor from the airport to the nearest train station, where he got on a train going into San Francisco. “We’re crashing in Colma for the night, then everything’s going to be set up for us in a warehouse out in San Francisco. I’m going to stay up to make sure Dave made it safe back to Sacramento, but you’re gonna need your rest.”
Gou was somewhat unsure where this ‘Colma’ place was, but he followed the Professor back onto the freeway. It was strange still, driving on the other side of the road, but he got used to it fast. It wasn’t far, at least. He and the Professor settled into the small motel. He found himself not able to go to bed, watching the Professor yawn shortly after receiving the call from his friend, who got home safely.
“Take some of this melatonin if you need a bit of help adjusting,” the Professor said. He indicated some medication on the bedside table. “I always use it when I’m traveling the world.”
Gou did; it helped.
The next day, they rather unofficially moved into a warehouse on the docks. Gou liked it, since the weather was nice and cool in the city, and it meant that he was going to be able to do something to end the Roidmude scourge. The sooner he could get all of them, the better. He didn’t want to have to explain to his future kids on how their grandfather had nearly managed to end the world. The Professor was waiting for him after he showered and ate breakfast. The shower wasn’t fancy, more a lone showerhead on a wall, but it worked fine. There was a case in front of him, a case that Gou had come a third of the way around the world to see.
“This is it,” he said, with a smile on his face.
“Yeah. Still working on some of the AI, but that’s what you’re going to be helping me with the next few days.”
Whatever he needed, Gou would do, just to get this part over with. He needed to be out there, fighting, not hanging around this warehouse.
Opening the case, the Professor handed him the front part of a belt. Gou knew from what he’d been told that the rest of the belt would form around him.
But what did he care? He had been chosen to wield this, not his sister who didn’t need this burden. She didn’t need to know what their father did.
“Let’s go!” he proclaimed, pulling the Driver out of its case. Under the Professor’s instruction, he put it around his waist, and let the belt form around him.
The next few hours - the next few days, even - were spent in the warehouse, with Gou getting the hang of things against robot opponents. He suspected the actual Roidmudes weren’t going to be this easy, but some more practice and he was sure he was going to be ready.
Yes, it was tiring - the Driver took a lot out of him, that was for sure! But it was a satisfying exhaustion, the feeling that he might be able to undo what his father did, no matter what the cost.
It was about a week in when the Professor suggested a break. “You’re supposed to be a photojournalist,” his mentor of sorts reminded him.
So, Gou went out to the city, heading into its Japantown and trying to talk to people. He had to admit, he liked the Americans who chatted with him - so much more vibrant than what he was used to back home.
Maybe he would find a way to immigrate to America, after the Roidmudes were gone. The history he’d learned about couldn’t repeat itself, could it?
He met the Professor not back at the warehouse, but at a restaurant in the area. “I like Japanese food myself,” the Professor confided. “Learn anything interesting?”
“A few things.” Things he didn’t know about America, and how it had treated his people. But everybody had been more or less friendly wherever he went. San Francisco was a bustling city, and he’d enjoyed using his English with people other than the Professor. Sure, he had a heavy accent, but he’d made himself understood.
“Good. How do you feel? Ready? We’re going to do some busting.” The Professor’s grin made him grin in return. “We’ll load up the bikes in the morning.”
“Where are we going?” Gou asked. He wanted to see more of the city, but he also needed to do what he’d come to do. Making sure the Roidmudes didn’t take over was more important than how he felt or where he wanted to go.
“Phoenix.” Professor Harley nodded in what Gou presumed was the direction of the city they were going to. “Got some reports of what we think is Roidmude activity.”
Gou nodded. He was going to miss San Francisco, but he knew he was ready. Time to kick some Roidmude ass and save the day!
It was the least he could do for the world.